iraq developments

December 27, 2006

Hussein Iraq's highest court rejected Saddam Hussein's appeal yesterday and said the former dictator (right) must be hanged within 30 days for ordering the killing of scores of Shiite Muslims in 1982. Aref Shahin, chief judge of the appeals panel, said there was no further legal recourse for Hussein, and the Iraqi executive is free to send him to the gallows "any day." Pg 11A

Deaths Three U.S. soldiers were killed, bringing the number of members of the U.S. military killed since the start of the Iraq war in March 2003 to at least 2,978 -- five more than the number killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. Pg 11A